Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
There is somewhat very blessed in what the Apostle hath here set down, both in its effects, and in its cause. Paul first marks the effects. A man in Christ is a new creature. How comes he so? He then assigns the cause: the cause is of God. All things are of God. From everlasting, Jehovah in his threefold character of Persons, loved the Church in Christ, with an everlasting love. And each glorious Person gave manifestations of it. God the Father chose the Church in Christ, gave the Church to Christ, willed the being, and the well-being of the Church in Christ, before all worlds.: And when in the time-state of the Church, she fell in the Adam - nature of sin and transgression; God was in Christ reconciling the world the Church, unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. See 1 John 2:2 and Commentary. God the Son loved the Church, betrothed the Church to himself before time, and in time redeemed her by his blood. And God the Holy Ghost anointed the Church with her glorious Husband and Head before all time, and in the day of time, in her effectual calling, regenerated her nature in Christ Jesus. Hence, in every individual instance of Christ's mystical body, everyone that is in Christ is a new creature.
And what is highly worthy the Reader's closest regard is this, that the new creature is a change of the whole man. A new heart, and a new mind, the Lord saith, I will give you, and a right spirit I will put within you, Ezekiel 36:26. So that it is a new creature, not a new name; a new principle altogether, not a new opinion. And indeed, the very name implies as much. For a new creature can only be produced by the same Creator which gave the being at the first. Creation-work can only be from God; and that without any other pre-disposing cause. Reader! mark well the features of character in the new creature! Then see if it be your portion. Moreover, the Apostle saith: All things are of God. So that the new creature, with all the properties which define the new-birth, are of divine origin, and come from divine giving. The new nature, the new heart, the new being, the new life, the new light, the new mind, yea, everything which can be said to constitute newness of character; all are of God. Are they new born? Then is it not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, John 3:8; John 3:8. Are they renewed in the spirit of the mind? This also is of God. Titus 3:4-6. Are they quickened to a new life? Jesus saith: I am the light, and the life of men, John 8:12. In short, everything in the new creation, both on cause, and effect, is of the Lord. I create the fruit of the lips: peace, peace to him that is far off; and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him. Isaiah 57:19.